Spoiler Alert:

It’s not.

Though insightful, I don’t always find Betteridge’s “law” to be universally true. However, in this case, if you’re short on time, you can fast-forward to the end of this essay, assured that I will NOT conclude that Smash Brothers--a series that has successfully fought it’s way into my personal shortlist of the all-time-greatest-video-game-franchises --is ultimately “bad” for Nintendo.

On the other hand, I’ve lately been playing ‘quite a lot’ of Smash on WiiU (and occasionally 3DS, but I strongly prefer the WiiU’s Pro Controller and big-screen HD), and I can’t help but think there are some inherent Catch-22 contradictions for Nintendo and this wildly popular series. Follow me down the rabbit hole, if you will.

Easily the strangest representation of 'down the rabbit hole' yielded by google

Smash Bros. demands (or simply absorbs) an incredible amount of time from devoted fans. More than any other series on the Nintendo platform, Smash Bros. is an open-ended game without any standard ‘ending’ or completionist benchmark that would allow us to truly “100%” the game. One can argue that collecting all of the trophies, or finishing every single achievement, or beating Classic Mode with every single character --or perhaps ALL of the above--would somehow represent ‘finishing’ Smash. But in any of these scenarios, you’d immediately be confronted irreconcilable questions--did you finish every Event on the hardest setting? With two players? Did you finish Classic on 9.0 difficulty? What about the stadium events?

For those of us that get easily addicted--or who make a point of getting the most out of our games (i.e. 100%)--Smash represents an itch we will never fully scratch. For the typical non-professional player, we’ll never be good enough to beat Crazy Hand on the hardest setting, or complete All Star mode with our worst characters, or even acquire all of the trophies in the game--trophy rush not withstanding. But this doesn’t keep us from trying. Most video games capitalize, in some fashion, on the gamer’s proclivity for collecting and completing. Smash feeds our completionist impulses by rewarding harder difficulty settings with rarer rewards, by forcing us to farm in-game money before we can even try Crazy Orders (much less beat it), and by burying secret characters, stages, and game modes behind invisible achievement gates. Hundreds of thousands of players are willing to take up the challenge, impossible or not. After all, Smash isn’t merely addictive--it’s ridiculously fun.

All of these factors contribute to a sheerly enormous demand on our gaming time--leading me to the point of this post. Recently, it occurred to me that I’ve played Smash Bros. almost every day since the launch (95 days and counting as of this writing). My dedication hasn’t stopped me from buying other games or receiving some as gifts--but there’s no doubt that I’ve neglected other titles in favor of Smash. Worse, my backlog of games to BUY has continued to expand--which means that Smash is directly causing me to reduce my purchases and ignore--or skip entirely--other great titles I’d otherwise have time to enjoy (Hyrule Warriors and Bayonetta II, I’m looking in your direction).

Nope, dont even have time for Minecraft. PK FIRE!

Looked at in this light, it seems undeniable that the time-sink of Smash Bros. must hurt Nintendo’s bottom line in some fashion. They’re the console maker who simultaneously develops and publishes the majority of their own system’s games. When a huge percentage of their most loyal fans are focused on one single game at the expense of all others, it’s gonna have an impact--and maybe not an entirely good one. We all know that Smash (along with Mariokart) are the two main anchors for Nintendo’s continuing relevance in a crowded, competitive market--I’m not contesting those obvious facts. What I’m actually saying is that, while Smash’s overwhelming, universal popularity is ultimately a very good thing for Nintendo in the long term, it also may have a counterintuitive negative side, short term or otherwise.

The part where the crazy theory becomes a rambling speculation . . .

In other words, given the addictiveness and shear size of Smash Bros. games . . Smash might conceivably be too much of a good thing when we consider how it may affect competing sales of non-Smash games. If we extend my theory a bit further, Smash might be a barrier against attracting 3rd parties to Nintendo platforms, and may even inhibit Nintendo themselves from developing the new IPs that us gamers are always claiming we want. After all, third party developers are increasingly Nintendo-adverse, aware that the games that sell best (or at all) on a Nintendo platform are . . . games made by Nintendo . . . so why should they bother? Smash’s rabid popularity just reenforces this issue for the outside developers.

Then, if you think about Nintendo’s own internal development resources, when your best and brightest programers are assigned to a single game for three years or more . . . the other development teams are going to be shortchanged. New IPs and ideas get pushed aside in favor of the guaranteed, age-old series and sequels. The cost and amount of time required for the development of a Smash title is notorious, and I assure you….with absolutely no professional game development experience under my belt--but many years of work inside a corporate, profit-driven industry--I just KNOW the financial bean-counters at Ninty HQ ask questions like “can’t we just make this game a wee bit smaller and get it out the door a year sooner??” But thankfully, brighter minds prevail and the company continues to deliver a high-quality Smash experience . . all of which takes time, and money, and attention away from other projects we might otherwise have seen. I’m just sayin.

Personal counterpoint, plus some hard numbers:

In spite of all this, even amid the Smash addiction that grabbed me in the game’s first month, I still bought Captain Toad, somehow found the time to play it…. AND love every second of it. But in spite of my own fondness for Nintendo’s “other” holiday title, I’d bet that the middling sales (500,000 global units currently reported) can at least be partly blamed on Smash Bros siphoning up our time and money. Meanwhile, in almost the same amount of time, Smash WiiU has sold 3 million worldwide units, and a crazy 5.5 million on 3DS. I’m not sure that those numbers (VGChartz) include download copies either--so the actual numbers for any of the above might be a lot higher. Meanwhile, Bayonetta 2--which got out the door in September (a full 2 months before Smash U arrived)--has sold a disappointing 600,000 units. In spite of the fact that B2 bundles in the entire original Bayonetta game, this incredible bonus deal still apparently fails to move units in any significant numbers. I don’t want to get too obsessed with sales reports here--we all know Captain Toad and Bayonetta aren’t even in the same league as Smash’s popularity--but I just wanted to put these numbers into the blog for some realistic context. It’s worth looking at that concrete data and realizing that Smash is outselling everything else that launched for Nintendo in the same time period (heck, the 3DS version of Smash has already drifted by Mariokart 8’s 4.2 million sales, and the WiiU version will inevitably surpass it as well), and therefore, hypothetically speaking, it’s at least possible that Smash is pushing down the hopes of other games, even those published by Nintendo themselves. People only have so much money and time. Faced with a choice . . . some games are gonna lose, period.

I feel like all my blogs end up back at this duality.

In purely financial terms, considering that Nintendo doubled-down on Smash with versions for both 3DS and WiiU, we might reasonably guess that this incredibly bold combo attack has yielded more profits than a single-console release (especially one limited to WiiU) would have done. But developing two games for two platforms definitely utilized more time and resources, so it’s actually difficult to know if the dual-prong Smash strategy represents a significant sales benefit, or perhaps a break-even wash, or possibly even an expensive, costly gambit. Consider--now they have the same flagship game on both platforms….a move that could hypothetically stymie the sales of WiiU hardware (i.e. people who would have bought a WiiU to play Smash just ended up sticking with the 3DS version). There’s almost no way to know how it would have played out if Smash only debuted on one system…but I can’t help but wonder.

On the other hand, in a definite, uncontested “win” for Nintendo and Smash Bros. . . .there are the Amiibo, the hyper-popular trinkets that successfully piggybacked on the popularity and timing of the Smash Bros. release. Given the character lineup and interesting “pet fighter training” functionality, there’s no doubt that Amiibo’s explosive success is directly tied to Smash’s popularity, and that the high volume sales may serve to offset any financial losses due to the speculative situations above.

That's just cool.

Look. I’d be crazy to actually believe that Smash’s success is hurting Nintendo in the big picture. It’s most certainly the opposite--Smash keeps Nintendo relevant and present in the minds of multi-console players who would otherwise (incorrectly) write off WiiU as another system for kiddies and motion-controlled party games. Smash is Nintendo’s biggest series for serious gamers (for the record, yes, I’ve heard of “The Legend of Zelda” . . . but until they ramp the difficulty to something I can actually sink my teeth into, I’m demoting that IP to third place behind Kart and Smash) and sells like hotcakes for a very good reason--it’s f%#king amazing. But as I wrap up this blog and rush downstairs to play my 96th evening of the same game . . . I can’t help but wonder if maybe Nintendo should make the next Smash installment a wee bit less addictive, or a bit smaller, or something.

After all, it’s almost like they don’t want me to play their other games. ;’]

I really didn’t expect to get addicted to Amiibo, but these damn figurines got their hooks into me.

CHAPTER 1:

WHY UNOCLAY DIDN’T THINK AMIIBO WOULD BE A “THING” FOR HIM.

I tend to think of myself as a thrifty person--though this has changed a bit as I get older. I have a decent job, I make decent money, but I’ve always been a “saver”--money in the bank for a rainy day. And it’s served me quite well. On countless occasions--be it illness, unexpected car repairs (just dropped $1100 today for tires and brakes), housing issues, or overlooked bills--a well-padded savings account has served me well. However, as one discovers, the more money you make in life….the more you tend to spend. I do try to save at least half of my income, but it’s not always easy.

Anyway, I definitely notice a tendency in myself to spend a little more on frivolous stuff as time goes by. Whereas many folks tend to make their most irresponsible financial decisions in their teens and twenties (I’m well past both of these benchmarks), I was actually surprisingly restrained in my spending at those ages. I graduated with a degree in English, and it took me several years to find my niche in the employment market (translation: decent paying job). Therefore, until I was in my thirties, most of my income was dedicated to buying a new car, housing (rental, then buying a house), and just getting a small nest egg started. I didn’t buy a lot of things. Most of my free income went toward non-tangible--and mostly affordable--things I like to call “fun”…..eating out at cheap restaurants, drinking cheap beers, and going on cheap (but incredibly fun) trips with a lot of cool buddies.

Nowadays, I’m pretty well established in my work field. I have a good resume and work history, and quite honestly, with just a few phonecalls, I could move into higher paying jobs if i needed more money or wanted to work harder. I don’t. I love my free time and my life is incredibly good. I’d rather have freedom than more digits in a bank account.

HOWEVER….this leaves me in the unusual position of “responsible adult with disposable income”. The funny thing about being an adult--and maybe you can only understand this once you’ve already ‘made it’-- is that income NEVER feels truly ‘disposable’. Not if you’re smart, anyway. As I said above, earlier today, I took my seemingly-fine car in for inspection, and find out I need $1100 of repairs, just like that. I could afford to pay it up front, but a bill of this size would be a financial crisis for some folks. Unexpected debt often leads to credit card bills you can’t pay off--i.e. how poverty starts for far too many people. Me? I just paid the d@mn bill, grumbled a bit, and went home. I reminded myself that THIS is why I don’t go to the fanciest restaurants, or buy a million stupid things when I’m at the store, or give into the majority of consumer temptations that assault anyone, everyday, every hour. I haven’t had cable in over 20 years--incalculable savings. I refuse to buy a smartphone because I’m not willing to pay more than $50 a month for a telephone. I get most of my books from the library, and a lot of DVDs too. Savings, savings, savings.

SO…..after everything I’ve just told you . . .honest, longterm truths about my most fundamental psychological and financial makeup…..I am forced to wonder……..HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT AMIIBO HAS BECOME A THING I “HAVE” TO BUY?

After all….let’s be honest…..the appeal of these figurines makes almost no sense at all. When it comes to games, I often hesitate for weeks--months, even--before buying games I genuinely want. And those are full fledged pieces of software I’m talking about--not some colorful plastic toys that….really do almost nothing. Sure, they’re cute to have on a shelf, and I like training against my level 50s. . . but what’s the real appeal? When you get right down to it, why would someone with my degree of financial caution get sucked into this COLLECTOR phenomenon?

LONG WAY AROUND . . . FINALLY….. GETTING TO THE POINT OF THIS BLOG.

I have a couple speculations as to why I currently own seven Amiibo (4 unboxed, 3 still boxed)…..plus preorders for at least 7 more on the way. I’ve tried to be honest with myself and explore the deepest recesses of my nerdiest soul to find the rudiments and explanations of desire. However, even after long speculation and mindful meditiation, the theories below are just that--theories--they’re just my best guesses as to why Amiibo worked it’s magic on me. These aren’t fully formed theses or conclusive evidence, so I welcome your input. I’m kind of trying to understand my own addiction by simply ‘blogging it out’. Help me figure ME out!!

CHAPTER 2:

UNOCLAY’S GRAND THEORIES ON WHY AMIIBO SUCK US IN

1. Amiibo play on our need for identity.

This is a pretty obvious reason why many people buy at least one or two Amiibo. Everyone starts out by buying ‘their main’, or their favorite character. On some level, you imagine that you’re making some kind of statement about what kind of gamer you are, or more bizarrely, what kind of ‘person’ you are. Buying Toon Link? You’re probably fond of his childlike innocence, his courage-in-the-face-of-overwhelming-odds, his cutsie way of yelling “YAHH” when he swings his tiny sword. You think of yourself as an underdog. Or perhaps you choose Bowser as your first? You like to think of yourself as a bruiser, you’re the kind of person who clobbers fools and tells it like it is. You don’t ask for cake--you TAKE it. (You’re also not above looking foolish when plans fall apart thanks to some meddling, stereotyped plumber, but at least you get to breathe fire like a badass dragon.) In simplest terms, owning Amiibo that represent your aspirational identity is just another way to say “hey world, I’m a goofy little Pikachu, and I’m not afraid to show it”. It’s something we all crave--a statement of who we are, or hope to be. Even if that someone is a shirtless Shulk.

I just gotta be me!

2. Amiibo are like a cookie--cheap and small enough to ‘eat’ without thinking twice

This was actually the first thing I realized about the addictiveness of Amiibo, and it remains a fundamental piece of my own compulsion. Whereas I’ll (always) pause and think long and hard about a $50 game purchase, it hardly seems like a big deal if I swing into a Gamestop and walk out with $14.03 worth of colorful figurine. It’s like cruising through my kitchen and spotting the unguarded cookie jar--why not just eat one while I’m here? New Years Resolution To Self: Stop eating so many cookies. You’re growing a gut. In reality though, the pricepoint is a critical factor. If these were closer to $20, there would be no way I’d buy. Nintendo must have focus-grouped the hell out of Amiibo, because the 12-14$ range feels just valuable enough to make me want it….but cheap enough to afford one. Or two. Or maybe just one more. Mmmmmmm….cookies!

I just can't help myself

3. They (falsely) make me imagine I’ll get better at Smash Bros. if I buy enough of them

Pretty self-explanatory--but it’s 100% true, at least for me. A masterful stroke, attaching the first round of Amiibo to the greatest Nintendo series. Anyone who’s played me in Smash knows I pretty much suck . . . but hey, I got heart! Still, I lose far more than I win, no matter how much I practice…which makes Amiibo a sort of ‘false promise’ for my psyche, an ever-receding illusion in the distance, a way for me to “buy” my way into Smash betterment….even if it never comes true. By laying down bucks for Smash figures, my lizard brain confuses devotion with skill, and so I keep playing… and buying…and playing…and buying . . . .perhaps improving my game in tiny increments, but not nearly as much as my devotion to Amiibo should warrant. Still….at least I get a trophy out of it! Everybody’s a wiener!

4. Amiibo make me worry that they will be impossible to acquire if I don’t ACT NOW

The “gotta get it quick” phenomenon probably works against Amiibo as much as it helps, but for some of us, this factor approaches true levels of psychological addiction. Like the NVC crew discussed on a recent episode, when you find yourself calling stores and refreshing webpages looking for just one more fix….gotta get me that one more figure, im getting the shakes . . . “Hello, I’m unoclay, and I have a problem.” It might sound like I’m joking, but I’m not. I’ve spent too much money (I’m not gonna admit how much, so drop it and read on) on these plastic toys, and one of the biggest reasons has been the feeling that if I don’t get onboard right away, the prices will go through the roof, and I’ll never have that PAC MAN STATUE that I NEED because I DONT KNOW WHY (: does a quick google to ensure I didn’t miss any preorder announcements while typing this blog: ADDICTED!!!).

GOTTA HAVE IT GOTTA HAVE IT GOTTA HAVE IT

5. Amiibo are (literally) ‘trophies’--a marker of success that we’ve been trained to desire

I referred to this one in #3; Amiibo fit into our cultural fondness for literal Trophies. As a kid, you get one for running fast or kicking butt on your local baseball team. Sporting events end with the gladiators hoisting a massive trophy above their heads in victory. We’re taught to worship the trophy, or chicken<>egg, maybe humans have always been this way about symbols of power and victory. Is the whole obsession with trophies a bit phallic and stupid? Perhaps. Is a trophy obsession a remnant of our barbaric warlike past, when we’d decimate our enemies and tear their heads off and wave them in bloody triumph, taunting the wailing losers with the lifeless carcasses of their former brothers? . . . . Um, no. Probably a bit much. But, you know….TROPHIES. We’re taught to like them. Amiibo. You know what I’m talking about. Look. They’re tiny trophies. We can buy them and feel like winners.

Dude....please stop kissing that. You're gonna become a meme.

6. Amiibo are inherently mysterious to train, teasing our brains like a cat with a piece of string.

To date, I’ve not seen anyone ‘scientifically’ deconstruct the way Amiibo evolve and ‘learn’. We all have our theories, and some swear the Amiibo’s activity is random, and others insist it imitates their own fighting style…..and therein lies the compulsion. I tweak my Amiibo, feed them items and new moves, and pit them against each other. Some are dodgy, some are punchy, some are almost unbeatable, and others completely suck. But even after training a few of them to level 50, it’s very tough to discern exactly how their programming works…so I keep coming back for more. It’s an excuse to buy another figure and see if THIS one is different. And again. And again . . . because gamers LOVE a good puzzle.

7. The blurring of lines between digital life and reality, via Amiibo, is seductive.

There’s something simply compelling about the real life < > virtual life crossover of a statuette becoming ‘alive’ onscreen. By purchasing a statue, and bringing it home, and then zapping it onto your television screen, you almost feel like you ‘created’ something--a new entity, an animated character, an AI that depends on your interest and attention. Similar to past iterations of virtual pets, Amiibo play on that same real/fantasy confluence; as gamers, we spend so much time dabbling with imaginary, digital avatars, it’s simply exciting to see these onscreen images manifest themselves in our Real Life. Better, Amiibo is a two-way street: Mario is on our television, but he’s also in our living room, and then we tweak the Amiibo data, and he’s back on the screen, and then we save the data back to the figurine, so now we feel like Mario is “here” with us….back and forth from digital to real, the Amiibo creates a sense of a blurred reality, a marker, an actual Thing that can traverse the virtual divide--all under our command. Neat. Imaginary, but neat.

EPILOGUE:

SO……that’s it for my first round of Amiibo Hypotheticals. I’ve gone on a bit long, but I obviously find this topic really interesting, especially since I didn’t expect to be nearly as interested in these plastic toys as I ultimately became. My financial reservations about big spending--even for Amiibo--are still in place. Compared to many, I’m not even a serious collector (i.e. I dont even have a Marth, and don’t really care about him…but I do have a Villager). Still, even in spite of my adversity to stupid purchasing and consumerism in general….somehow, each time they’ve announced another wave of Amiibo, I find myself rationalizing the purchase(S) via logics noted above. Hence, my interest in this longwinded topic. Because I’m trying to figure myself out, as much as the Amiibo themselves.

What about you? Why do YOU think you buy Amiibo….or why do you think you’ve been able to resist the impulse?

UPDATE:

You know class when you see it. As noted in the post below, mk1982 won the contest. When I reached out to him to discuss how to deliver his prize, here's what he told me:

The contest was great. Playing, thinking and writing about the games that matter most was a sweet experience for which i'm thankful. You said "blogging is it's own reward" and it definitely rang true and clear for this experience. While i'd love the extra cash to spend on games, especially a few classics, i think it'd be cooler if you could, if it isn't too much trouble, donate that money to a charity of your choice, Whether that's a homeless guy you pass on the street, a collection box or an online donation it doesn't matter. I think that would probably be the best thing to do and it's in keeping with the season and the sentiment retro gaming holds.

Can I say....that's just awesome? Well done sir. I'll be sure to take care of this ASAP. I'll select a charity and make the donation in your "name". Maybe I'll sign the donation slip "From Sonic H.?" ;']

I'm leaning toward donating to our local pet shelter that houses dogs and cats until they get a home. If you, mk1982, prefer another donation of some sort, please let me know. However, I was leaning toward the pets because I already donated $50 to Doctors Without Borders yesterday (fighting Ebola in Africa, among others) and my wife just donated $80 to a mental health shelter down the street last week. So, maybe it's the pets' turn? ;']

I suggest that everyone give mk1982 a virtual high five for his generosity, and if you havent already, give the guy a 'follow', whydontcha?

UPDATE #2

Here's the proof--dont know if you can see the tiny text, but its screenshot of my donation receipt from PAWS (on behalf of mk1982), our local pet shelter. Once again, Sonic has made the world a better place for all the little animals!

ORIGINAL POST BELOW:

I’ll keep the thank-yous short and sweet; I know you really just want to know if you won the contest. But seriously, thanks everyone. When i had the idea to have a retro-blog contest, I wondered if anyone would participate. MyIGN is a tough beast to figure out; the most unlikely topics seem to catch fire, while some of the best blogs receive underwhelming responses, or are overlooked entirely. So thank you for taking time to play the game and join in the fun. I really appreciate it.

Though I’m tempted, I’m not going to name a runner up, because it was a VERY close race. Like, I re-read all of the entries and still found it very tough to decide on a single winner. If i was offering a second place winner, I’d need to call in someone else to make the decision. I definitely have some personal favs, but the overall content and quality of most entries are very good.

With no further ado, I want to announce that mk1982’s blog--a reflection and revisitation of the Sega Master System and the 8-bit Sonic The Hedgehog debut game--is the winner of my first retro-blog contest!!!

Mk1982’s fondness for retro-gaming comes through loud and clear throughout his piece, mixing moments of modern game analysis with more philosophical reflections on the general nature of ‘retro’ gaming. What really pushed this piece into the winner’s circle, for me, were his profound and well-expressed thoughts that shine out like nuggets of gamer wisdom. Near the middle of the piece, mk1982 says,

Playing a game out nostalgia is no bad thing but you can't really ever recreate that original experience. But if you’re lucky by playing, discussing or watching retro games, you may find moments locked away and long forgotten. You can bring back memories of the people you played them with, where you were and how you were feeling. It's something far greater than nostalgia. No one can turn back the clock. Life always moves forwards and the experiences of a game exist only a few minutes amongst the moments they occurred in.

That (and other quotes like it) just gets me right where it counts. Call me a sappy oldster with too much nostalgia for the first golden age of gaming (as we all know, that’s the downfall of Atari and subsequent rescue of the industry by Miyamoto and friends), but when I read mk1982’s piece, it was exactly the kinds of thoughts I have when I’m replaying my own stacks of dusty carts and reflecting back on what got me into gaming in the first place.

Thanks everyone--I hope you had fun with this project, and I’ll leave you with one final thought:
We’re ALL winners when we make the time to play some RETRO GAMES!!!

Just in time for the holidays……announcing the myIGN ‘Retro Game’ blogging contest!

What: In a nutshell, spend an hour (or more!) playing some retro games (see definition of ‘retro’ in rules below) and then blog about the experience on myIGN.

When: Two weeks to submit your entry, ending midnight EST on December 21st.

How: Simply post a blog on myIGN (written blog, video blog, or both)! Add a link to your entry in the comments below, or post it on my wall. See below for more details.

Why: For fun…community…..and a prize! I will send the overall winner a $20 gift certificate for the video game vendor (online, or brick+mortar) of your choice. If you live outside the USA, we’ll try to figure out the best way to make this happen. We’ll work something out, depending on where you live. Online credit, etc.

Time to untangle those cords and dust off the old consoles!

The idea for this contest arose from my deep fondness for retro games. I have a decent collection of old Atari, NES, and random 1980s-era game technology that I regularly play and enjoy. One night I was sitting around and thinking, “I’d love to read blogs by other IGN users regarding what retro gaming means to them.” Hence, this contest. Give me some blogs on one of my favorite topics!

Rules and FAQ:

Unoclay1 will be the final judge of all entries. One winner will be selected on basis of originality, interesting content, and the blog’s style and quality (or video quality). I’ll know it when I see it. See below for some suggestions of what I’m looking for.

What constitutes “Retro”?

For the purpose of this contest, we’re defining “Retro” as “5th Generation or earlier”. In other words, the games/systems you blog about CAN be from the N64/PS1/Sega Saturn/Gameboy Color/Virtual Boy timeline….…or earlier. No limit on how far back in time you can go. But you can’t write a blog about recent stuff, like playing PS2 or Gamecube or Xbox One. None of these are retro……yet.

Can you play ROMS or Emulators or Virtual Console?

I’d love it if people make the effort to play classic games on the original platforms and consoles. However, in the interest of inclusion, I will definitely accept blogs discussing ROMS, emulations, etc. Playing retro games on an emulator or VC is better than not playing them at all. However, the original game(s) must be from 5th generation (or earlier) as noted above.

How to win the contest: You’re welcome to submit in whatever format you like--but your entry needs to discuss a recent experience with retro gaming. The basic idea is that you get out some retro games/system(s), play them for a while (an hour? two? more?), and then discuss the experience on myIGN. You’re free to say whatever you want, however you want.

Video entries are allowed, but need to be posted on myIGN in a standard blog post. You are also welcome to include video along with a written blog as well.

Users are welcome to submit multiple entries. The more the merrier. Only one blog can win, however.

Some ideas that I’d like to see, but not required: (these are just starting points, you can make your own): Discuss how gaming has changed, or how you’ve changed since you played these games back in the day, or what holds up/doesn’t, your favorite games that you revisited, your reflections and memories on the olde days….or what it was like to go back to these old games after a long gap….or, for the younglings, what it was like to try these games for the first time!

Disclosure: The members of the myIGN Nintendo Podcast will be promoting this contest on their show, but are not going to be involved in deciding a final winner. So, there is no conflict of interest--I want those guys to submit entries, and they could possibly win. My decision on ‘who wins’ won’t be biased by myIGN friendships or their promotional assistance.